The field of the invention pertains to explosive devices for foxhole manufacture, for demolition and for urban warfare. More particularly, the invention is directed to the use of a shaped charge ("SC"), and as modified by additional explosives placed in part of the stand-off region ("SCAX") The SCAX devices are used as an explosive foxhole device ("EXFOD") singly or in combination by placement in "pre-dig" holes with backfilling and stemming. The SCAX devices are also suitable for urban warfare and for expedient demolition tests.
In the prior art, an SC generates an explosive jet and a following slug as the SC liner is collapsed by the surrounding explosive. The jet is a strong, well defined stream of liquid-state metal formed from the liner of the SC. As the SC liner is collapsed by the explosive, the slug is also formed, which is the mass of relatively, slow moving part of the collapsed metal liner.
For EXFOD use, there can be a one-step or two-step explosive device with one-step desirable. The total time to emplace, fire and excavate for EXFOD is desired to be less than ten (10) minutes. This time is to include final shaping and removal of loose soil with an entrenching tool.
In working with and firing of explosives, the essence of safe use has always been slow, careful, deliberate, preplanned-in-detail operations utilizing protective or remote handling devices. Combat conditions leading to simultaneous entrenchment under fire by many soldiers represents the very antithesis of the way explosive devices should be handled. Every soldier would have to be clear of the area before a single EXFOD could be fired. If any incorporated delay were used as part of each EXFOD to provide time to clear the area, one malfunctioning delay could lead to significant casualties. The time to safely entrench would have to be set by the slowest soldier. A two-step EXFOD process seriously compounds the safety problems. It would require clearing the area twice, once for the SC (to provide holes to place cratering charges) and again for the cratering charge, which would require an emplacement. If the first step of any one such EXFOD involved a malfunction, reentry into the area for the second step could be hazardous. Hand-emplacement of the cratering charges would be underway simultaneously by many soldiers. If one charge accidentally or prematurely exploded, considerable casualties could result. Under combat conditions and with a total time of about ten minutes for all the soldiers to achieve the required fox holes, a two-step EXFOD is exceedingly difficult to achieve and would probably lead to an unsafe munition to use.